REFINED BY FIRE 2

It is unfortunate that some people are born better than others –
according to worldly standards. Some are born into royal
families, others have rich parents and relatives, while others are
born intellectuals. It is just the way life is. We all cannot be the
same. Absurdly, many times, the advantaged persons naturally
have a sense of superiority over the disadvantaged just by virtue
of their social status. They even feel the need to control their
disadvantaged counterparts. Some go as far as determining the
rights and restrictions of the disadvantaged ones. They dictate
what should be done and the way things should go. Failure to do
as they dictate automatically means severe punishment.
Sometimes power and influence fall in the wrong hands. When
that happens, it is no longer an issue of social status. Rather,
everyone is at the mercy of the influential person, robbed of
their will and utterly voiceless. The victims of such oppression
often feel overwhelmed and lose control. The sense of
hopelessness strips them of all capacity to think of a solution,
and they can only wait for deliverance. Thanks be to God, the
only true liberator and savior. He will always come to the rescue
of the marginalized, the voiceless and oppressed as long as they
trust in Him and count on His deliverance. The more I thought
about my life as a fugitive, the more distraught I became. How
could someone hate me and hunt me down because I loved a
man? It did not make sense. As the search went on, I knew it
would be a matter of time before they extradited me. I had to
leave the college hostel I was staying in immediately. I lived in
different parts of France and occasionally went to Aunt Miriam’s
home. When I run out of options, I knew it was time to take a
radical step to save my life. With Patrick’s support, I decided to
go and live with him. Looking back, I don’t regret making that
decision.
First, it was the most secure place I could find at the time
because there was security. As children of a government official,
Patrick and his sisters had security detail offered by the
Rwandan embassy in France. Secondly, Patrick and I figured that
their apartment would be the last place they would expect me
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